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***
"Ah!"
A crow circled above Itachi and Deidara, then descended, landing on Itachi's shoulder and folding its wings.
"Was it a clone that attacked Deidara?"
Haitsu asked, staring at Itachi behind Deidara.
The Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique Itachi used obscured Deidara's sight and their view.
"Did he form the clone technique while casting the fireball?" Shikaku asked, staring at Itachi with surprise.
It was only Itachi's clone struck by Deidara's explosive clay.
"Impressive!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed.
She had never seen a ninja her age challenge Deidara so effectively.
And it took only one round.
Izumi's concern eased, her eyes filled with warmth as she gazed at Itachi.
A disheveled Deidara slumped to the ground, staring at Itachi in shock.
He never expected defeat by a ninja his age from another village.
And in such a decisive manner.
Shock, confusion, and resistance flickered in his blue eyes.
But he showed no anger or desire to attack again.
Deidara, though proud, acknowledged defeat.
He knew he was beaten, and another fight would yield the same result.
"Hahaha!"
Deidara laughed wildly, throwing back his head as Itachi observed.
Itachi walked toward Izumi and Shikaku.
Deidara's bold laughter echoed behind.
"I never expected someone like you in Konoha."
"How interesting!" Deidara said, standing unsteadily, looking at Itachi.
"I lost this battle. My life is yours!" he said calmly.
Though only nine years old, as Ånoki's disciple, he was no coward.
"It's pointless to kill you," Itachi said, turning to Deidara.
"Just don't interfere with our mission."
"You won't kill me?"
Deidara muttered, a frenzied look in his eyes.
"But I'll defeat you someday!"
He recognized the strength gap but wouldn't yield easily.
Regardless of Itachi's motives for sparing him, Deidara would show no mercy next time.
Chi!
Itachi's dark eyes turned blood-red, gazing at Deidara.
"I'll wait," he said calmly, his gaze intense.
He didn't fear death, but his life bore many responsibilities.
Itachi and Deidara's gazes locked, and Deidara's heart wavered.
"This feeling," Deidara gritted his teeth.
He refused to fear Itachi, but the mark of fear was etched in his heart.
Only defeating Itachi could erase it.
"What's your name?" he asked seriously, staring at Itachi's face.
"Uchiha Itachi," Itachi replied.
"Uchiha Itachi, remember my words. Your life will be mine!"
Deidara said, hiding no murderous intent.
Though Konoha and Iwagakure were allies, he didn't care.
"You'll never defeat me in your current state," Itachi said calmly.
"You're eager to best me, even risking your life, but you haven't considered your comrades."
"On a battlefield, your pride could get them killed."
"What are you implying?" Deidara asked, eyes wavering, staring at Itachi.
"Understand it yourself. You want my life, don't you?"
Itachi said, gazing at Deidara's Iwagakure forehead protector.
"As a Konoha ninja, I accept your challenge."
"I await the day you, as an Iwagakure ninja, defeat me!"
Itachi knew Deidara's obsession echoed his own past.
With Deidara's skills, Akatsuki might recruit him, making him a traitor.
That would create a dangerous foe for Konoha.
By accepting Deidara's challenge, Itachi created a subtle bond.
Deidara might stay in Iwagakure until he could defeat Itachi.
Itachi would never let Deidara surpass him; that was his resolve.
He flashed to Shikaku and Izumi's side.
"Shikaku-sensei, let's go. He won't attack anymore," Itachi said, glancing at Deidara.
Even if Haitsu wanted to continue, Deidara's nature wouldn't allow it.
Without the explosive clay's power, Haitsu and Kurotsuchi couldn't kill the client.
Though they neutralized the threat, Shikaku's team wasn't fully successful.
"Let's go!" Shikaku nodded, glancing at Haitsu and Kurotsuchi.
The three rushed toward their meeting point with Aoki Yui.
Haitsu and Kurotsuchi approached Deidara.
Kurotsuchi looked at Deidara, her face dejected.
This was her first major defeat since graduating from the ninja academy.
But she had to accept it.
"Deidara-nii, are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
She knew Itachi's actions had crushed Deidara's pride.
"I will defeat Uchiha Itachi of Konoha!"
Deidara said, looking where Itachi left.
Kurotsuchi didn't press further, muttering to herself.
"Grandpa will punish us harshly for this failure."
Haitsu patted her shoulder.
"The failure is my duty as the jÅnin leader," he said.
"Haitsu-senpai, that's not what I meant. We're a team. We share the blame," Kurotsuchi said, shaking her head.
Deidara looked at them, then turned away, hiding his expression.
"The greatest fault is mine. I'll face the old man and accept punishment," he said with a scowl.
"Deidara-brother, youā¦" Kurotsuchi said, stunned.
Haitsu and Kurotsuchi exchanged glances, surprised.
Deidara had never spoken like this before.
Haitsu chuckled softly, looking at Deidara.
"Is it because of Uchiha Itachi's words?"
"This mission's failure isn't entirely negative for Deidara."
...
After decisively defeating the Iwagakure squad led by Haitsu, Shikaku's escort mission proceeded very smoothly.
Half a day later, Itachi and his team delivered the client to the negotiation site in the Land of the Forest.
The negotiations between both sides proceeded very smoothly, a result largely due to Shikaku and his team.
After all, while the Land of the Forest needed the Land of Stone's ore for construction, they knew the Land of Stone's sharp decline in trade over the past six months stemmed from its conflict with the Land of Earth.
The Land of Earth was a behemoth the Land of the Forest could not afford to provoke.
However, the Hokage's willingness to aid the Land of Stone now showed the Land of Fire's, or at least Konoha's, stance.
With the support of Konoha's ninja, the Land of the Forest dared to fully accept this trade exchange.
With the cooperation between both sides secured, Shikaku and his team's mission was complete.
However, per Minato's orders before departure, Shikaku's team did not return to Konoha as a precaution, but instead escorted Kuroishi Lei back to the Land of Stone.
Iwagakure, nestled among the mountains of the Land of Earth, boasts buildings carved from massive rocks, rivaling Konoha in grandeur.
The tallest building in the village is the Tsuchikage Building.
In the Tsuchikage's office,
Haitsu, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara kneel before an elderly man.
The man stands with hands behind his back.
He is short, barely reaching the height of his desk.
Yet, his thin, stooped frame exudes the authority of a leader.
The elder before them is the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ånoki.
"This is the full account of the mission's failure. It was an error in my battle plan. I take full responsibility!"
Haitsu said, recounting the mission to the Tsuchikage, promptly seeking to shoulder the blame.
"This isn't solely Haitsu's fault. Grandfather, Tsuchikage-sama, please punish me per the rules," Kurotsuchi quickly said, looking at the Third Tsuchikage.
The Third Tsuchikage appeared notably calm.
He ignored Haitsu and Kurotsuchi and instead looked at Deidara.
Sensing his gaze, Deidara stood and said, "Old man, this is all my fault. If you want to punish me, do it quickly. I have training to do afterward."
"Haha," the Third Tsuchikage chuckled.
He looked at Haitsu and the others and said, "You all share responsibility for the mission's failure, but we'll discuss this later."
"Go to the Daimyo of the Land of Earth and report that Konoha's ninja intervened in the Land of Stone's affairs. Let him decide," the Third Tsuchikage said to Haitsu.
Haitsu paused briefly before nodding his head.
Clearly, the Tsuchikage thought it excessive for the Daimyo of the Land of Earth to pursue the assassination over a minor conflict with the Land of Stone.
The Land of Stone couldn't harm the interests of the Land of Earth, and as Tsuchikage, he didn't want to waste Iwagakure's resources on such pointless assassinations.
More crucially, Konoha's Hokage had expressed his stance on the Land of Stone issue.
If this matter caused friction between Iwagakure and Konoha, it would be a loss.
The Tsuchikage believed the Land of Earth's Daimyo could weigh the pros and cons.
Moreover, in the Tsuchikage's view, Iwagakure hadn't lost much from this mission, but gained notable benefits.
Deidara's setback wasn't necessarily bad.
He had been too arrogant before.
More importantly, this mission revealed to Iwagakure that, after Shunshin Shisui, another talented young ninja had emerged from Konoha's Uchiha clan.
"Uchiha Itachi," the Third Tsuchikage murmured.
After this incident, Itachi naturally drew his attention.
...
Shikaku's team escorted Kuroishi Lei back to the Land of Stone, and the journey was smooth.
Upon arriving in the Land of Stone, they were warmly welcomed.
As most people in the Land of Stone work in mining, their skin is darker and their customs notably simple.
Encouraged by the hospitality of the Land of Stone's inhabitants, Shikaku agreed to rest for a day in the capital.
Dusk fell, and the stars twinkled.
The nightscape of the Land of Stone's capital was far less bustling than Konoha's, but this allowed a deeper sense of the universe's vastness and humanity's smallness within it.
Upon returning to his land, Kuroishi Lei promptly began preparing for trade with the Land of the Forest, vital for the Land of Stone's economy.
Unable to host Shikaku and his team, Kuroishi Lei sent his daughter, Kuroishi Haruki, to guide Itachi and the others to the Land of Stone's rarest blood obsidian mine.
"My lords, we're nearly there," Kuroishi Haruki said with a smile.
They followed her direction and faintly saw the mine under the night sky.
The earth, lit by moonlight, glowed a blood-red light.
As they approached, they saw a vast pit in the mine, filled with crystal-clear, blood-red stones.
As the white moonlight filtered down, they shone with a bloody glow.
"Beautiful!" Aoki Yui exclaimed.
She had never seen such a hue of ore before.
Shikaku and Izumi gazed at the piles of blood-red obsidian, their eyes filled with wonder.
Itachi's eyes, reflecting the blood-red glow, narrowed slightly.
He didn't particularly like the feeling.
Swish!
In the Land of the Moon, several ninja in Konoha's ANBU uniforms moved swiftly through the rolling mountains.
Boom!
Suddenly, the rocks on the surrounding hills shook violently.
"An earthquake?" an ANBU exclaimed in surprise.
Then a torrent of rocks tumbled down, crashing toward the group.
These Konoha ANBU were highly skilled and quickly retreated as the rocks descended.
Naturally, the rocks couldn't harm them.
But everyone had dispersed.
Just after dodging the attack, the sensory ninja's face changed, exclaiming, "Enemy attack!"
Puff!
As his voice fell, a huge sharp blade shot out from behind, piercing the sensory ninja's body before he could fully react.
The blade emerged, spilling blood everywhere.
The remaining Konoha ANBU turned sharply and saw the blade that pierced their comrade swing, toss the corpse aside, and retract.
Chi!
Shisui, the only one not wearing an ANBU mask, turned, his eyes blood-red.
He looked in that direction with a grim expression.
Shisui saw the blade extend from the back of a man in a robe with a fire cloud pattern, as if growing from his body.
....
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